Baring Hearts
by BirukiMeraki
Summary: "I," Marinette wrung her hands over and over nervously. "Iloveyou." "What? Spit it out." She took another deep breath. "I love you."
Marinette lay on her back as she stared at the clock by her bedside.

 _4.56am._

She heaved a heavy sigh as she blinked at the ceiling. Another night went by and she hasn't slept a wink. Her heart thumped so hard it was almost painful and she took several deep breaths to try and steady it. She was so afraid and so restless.

Pulling a pillow close to her chest she rolled over on her side and she hugged it tight. This can't do. She has to tell him. She can't go through another night like this, in this state of perpetual fear and anxiety.

But just the thought of telling him made her face red and her legs do an involuntary kick.

"This is ridiculous!" she growled to herself in the darkness of her room. "It can't be that hard! It's just three simple words! One, two, three! Eggs and toast! Three words! Simple!"

She rolled over and faced the other side of her bed. She closed her eyes and imagined Chat Noir there, his eyes serious as he listened to her. She can already tell she's going to stumble very badly on her words and she imagined that he would just wait for her patiently as she tried to get the words out.

Marinette took a deep breath and tried to make her lips and tongue form those three words.

But it was no use. Even in her imagination she involuntarily kicked out.

Gasping at the effort it took her, she lay on her back again and stared at the ceiling. She had to tell him.

 _Maybe tomorrow._

At that comforting thought, Marinette closed her eyes and begged for sleep to come; finally dozing off at the crack of dawn.

* * *

The next morning, Marinette woke up feeling quite refreshed as she went down to the bakery to help around. Even if it wasn't today she could try tomorrow, she reasoned. It's the weekend. She would have two whole days to try and tell him. Yes she should just rehearse it a little in her mind.

She ended up repeating those three words over and over again for the rest of the day as she waited for him to come over like he usually does.

First she sat on the chaise lounge and bounced her leg anxiously, repeating the same three words in her head.

 _7.25pm._

When that wasn't enough and she was still restless she got up and started pacing. But that would make her look restless and she wanted to look natural as he came in so he wouldn't suspect anything.

 _What to do? What to do?_

She began pacing. She looked at the clock again.

 _7.27pm._

Only two minutes?

Marinette clutched her head in despair. How can she wile away the time? She began pacing as she clutched her head. In her head she repeated the same three words, trying to see if her heart rate would go down if she said it often enough.

 _Je t'a-_

"Hey, Princess!"

Marinette screamed.

And so did Chat.

There were sounds of feet running up the stairs. "Marinette!" her father called out. "Are you okay?!"

"Y-yes, Papa!" Marinette called out shakily as she thrust her head out the door. "I was just watching a horror movie!"

Thomas just eyed his daughter warily before shaking his head. _Just when he thought he understood teenage girls._

Marinette turned back into the room. "Don't do that!" she hissed at Chat.

"Do what?" he asked, bewildered.

"Scare me like that!"

"But I always come in through the window!"

"I know but I was antsy and you scared me!"

"Okay, I'm sorry! I'll knock next time!" He climbed in the window and into her room. "In fact, I want to show you something. Come on," he held out a hand for her to take.

Marinette still couldn't get used to Chat Noir holding her close to him as he vaulted over roofs. She can obviously do it herself but he didn't know that. "Where are we going?" she asked as they vaulted off another roof.

"It's a surprise. In fact," he mused. "Close your eyes. I'll tell you when to open them." He grinned at her incredulous face. "Just trust me."

It was a few minutes later that Chat told her to open her eyes. She opened them and was surprised at where he took her. "I didn't know there were still outdoor movie theatres," she whispered. In front of her was a huge screen with an opening title and around them were people on blankets, waiting for the movie to start.

"They don't. This is held by an independent movie studio. They do this once and a while. I thought you might like it. Here," he sat down on am empty blanket with several bottles of water and a large bowl of popcorn that was a little ways away from the rest. "This is our place."

Just as they sat down and settled themselves in, the movie started.

It was a classic romance, in black and white. An homage to the Golden Years of Hollywood. It was riveting stuff and Marinette was entranced.

"Are you cold?" Chat suddenly whispered in her ear.

She jumped and waved her hands at him, face colouring up. "No, I'm good. Thank you."

He laughed, nodded and turned his attention back to the movie.

She didn't know if it was the ambience of the whole thing or if it was just all these sleepless nights but she found her eyes drooping slightly again and again. Try as she might, she couldn't get her eyes to open. Before she knew it, she placed her head on his shoulder and nodded off for real.

* * *

Marinette opened her eyes and sat up, rubbing the sleep away from her eyes. Last night was an especially fitful sleep and she stretched, enjoying the feeling of being well rested for once. As she threw off her covers it hit her.

This is her bed.

 _Did last night even happen?_

She looked down and saw that she was still wearing last night's clothes. That could only mean one thing.

 _She didn't tell him._

Clutching her head and keening softly, Marinette rolled around in bed. She fell asleep. Mon dieu why is she such an idiot. It was perfect! It had the ambience! The mood was right! There was a chance but she didn't take it!

Marinette heaved a dry sob. No matter. She'll try again tonight. Yeah, she'll try again and this time she will have to tell him. By hook or crook, she _will_ tell him tonight.

That night she was glad to see that her resolve was still steely. That's it. She's going to tell him. She stared at the window, waiting for him to come.

But, like staring and waiting for the toast to pop out, the moment his head popped in the window, she screamed.

"Don't scream!" he warned, holding a hand out.

Quickly, she stuffed a fist in her mouth to stifle the scream. Both of them stiffened, listening for her parents. Thankfully there was nothing and her parents went about like normal.

"Sorry, should've knocked," he grinned as he climbed in. "Still antsy?"

Face reddening, she looked at her feet intensely. "Yeah," she mumbled.

"So how was the movie last night? Seeing as it didn't take you long to doze off," he cast a sideways glance at her and grinned wickedly.

The colour deepened on her face and she waved her arms around widely, highly flustered at this point. "It was good! I just haven't been sleeping well nowadays! And it was really comfortable so I couldn't help myself, I just dozed off!" She was rambling and she knew it. But she couldn't stop herself.

Chat Noir chuckled. "That's okay. It was quite late." He threw himself on the chaise lounge next to her. "So," he began. "Why haven't you been sleeping? Usually you sleep very easily," he teased again.

"Shut up, Chat," she mumbled under her breath. She can't breathe all of a sudden.

"What, no snarky comebacks?" He leaned forward and looked into her eyes.

Jumping up in shock, she leapt to the other end of the room. Fumbling, she switched off the lights.

"Princess?" She heard Chat say. "What's going on?"

"I-I-I-I," she stuttered and shook her head angrily. "I have something to say," she said in a rush. "And I can't say it with you looking at me like that."

"Okay..." he said slowly. "So tell me."

"I," Marinette wrung her hands over and over nervously. "Iloveyou."

"What?"

"I," Marinette took a deep breath that left her a bit dizzy. "You know, this darkness really helps," she laughed nervously.

"Marinette." She jumped; he rarely used her name. "Spit it out."

She took another deep breath. "I love you."

There was a long stretch of utter silence. She stared at him and she didn't know if he was staring at her in the dark.

"But I like someone else."

The breath she didn't know she was holding came out with a whoosh as her jaw dropped in shock. She didn't expect this.

"What?" she heard her voice say weakly.

"Can you switch on the lights, please?"

Her hands were shaking so hard she had to try three times before the lights actually switched on. The light bloomed and he shut her eyes. She didn't, even though the light burned her eyes. But this pain was better. At least it was physical pain.

"Who is it?" she asked.

He held out a hand and beckoned for her to take it. Slowly, she crossed the room and took her hand. "Why are you shaking?" he asked softly.

"Who is it?" she repeated.

Slowly, he turned her around. "There," he pointed to the mirror.

She only saw their reflection. She was looking paler but otherwise unchanged. She hated that. She should look like her entire world broke. But there was only their own reflections.

"Where?" she frowned. "Me?"

"No, the other person."

Suddenly the pin dropped. "Chat, there's only you in that mirror."

"I know." He walked over to the mirror and placed a hand on the mirror as if in longing. His reflection did the same, as reflections do. "And I'm terribly in love with him."

Marinette felt like a bucket of ice water was thrown over her head and the world receding into white noise. "Chat," she heard herself say. "I have something to show you."

She saw herself holding a hand out for him to take.

"What?" Chat looked over from staring deeply into his reflection's eyes. He looked at her outstretched hand. "Fine then," he rolled his eyes.

Taking his hand, she climbed up the ladder to the roof. It was a bit awkward, with her hand in his. When they were on the roof, they stood opposite each other.

"So what was it that you wanted to show me?" he asked.

Marinette let go of his hand and pointed over the ledge. "I want you to jump off this roof," she said monotonously, her face deadly serious.

" _What?_ "

"Jump off this roof and don't you dare land on your feet this time," she said in the same monotone.

Chat blinked at her for a moment before going to the edge of the roof. He took her hand in his again and pulled her gently to him. Her face was stony as she allowed herself to be led. "You better not pull me off with you," she said stonily.

"No," he smiled. He leaned forward and planted a soft kiss on her lips, making her stiffen. "I love you too," he whispered.

* * *

A/N: Part of Marichat May. _**Day 6: "I Like Someone Else"**_


End file.
